


More Than You Bargained For Yet?

by teeslover



Series: Rick Tyler legitimately has future sight [2]
Category: Stargirl (TV 2020), Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Fix-it, Gen, Henry can't be dead, I'm waiting for the ultimate BroTP with Jakeem Thunder that's beside the point, his brotential with Rick! I will not allow it, this isn't meant to be shippy but you can see it that way if you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeslover/pseuds/teeslover
Summary: Henry was supposed to die in those tunnels.Well, not if Rick has anything to say about it.
Relationships: Rick Tyler & Henry King Jr.
Series: Rick Tyler legitimately has future sight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845844
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	More Than You Bargained For Yet?

**Author's Note:**

> Like the tags say... Rick needs a bro, you know? So I'm making it happen! 
> 
> You don't have to read my previous fic to understand this one, not that much happened, and I sum it up pretty well in the beginning of this :)
> 
> Enjoy!

It had been nearly two weeks since Rick discovered his… predisposition to knowing what was to happen within the next hour. He and the others had all gotten in the habit of referring to his situation in incredibly vague terms, at least while in the company of other people, because even saying the words  _ vision _ or  _ premonition _ out loud just didn’t seem conducive to keeping a low profile. Since they occurred almost daily, it was likely he could be found out and singled out (read: ridiculed) as the town psychic (psycho?) and that would not be fun. 

So the four of them kept it close to the vest, watching for the tell tale signs of Rick seeing something, helping him with a cover story if it happened in front of someone, and then putting a stop to the event in the rare case it needed to be stopped. Over the past 12 days, Rick had had glimpses of the future a total of 8 times, and there were a few particulars they had worked out.

  1. The visions appeared to him completely at random, sometimes more than one a day… other days, none at all. There were no hints as to what triggered them or where they were coming from, just that they wormed their way into his brain, he’d feel like a knife was stabbing him behind the eyes, and he’d have to deal with a pounding in his head for a bit afterwards.  

  2. Not all of the visions showed something really eventful and those were the most annoying. They would just show him an otherwise normal day and they lasted only a few seconds. Though it covered the whole next hour, it was like it was on fast forward, there was nothing specific to zero in on. And it still hurt a little.  
  

  3. If there was something he had to know, the vision would be pretty detailed, showing him every action that he would be directly involved in that led up to the end result. These lasted a few minutes, also speeding through, but somehow he could always process all of it, as if his mind kicked into overdrive to handle it.   
  

  4. He couldn’t see past himself, so whatever was happening away from his future position that he couldn't have possibly have seen, remained unknown. Also, once the perceived future was avoided, he wouldn’t just automatically get another one. Sometimes he did, but mostly it was back to living in the present like everyone else, which was vastly preferable.  
  

  5. He hadn’t had a precognitive dream since this all started. Now, they just bombarded him when he was awake, leading him to invest in a small stash of Advil… and other alternative remedies.



Anything else they figured out were just theories, based off of all the time  travel/fantasy books, shows, and movies Beth sought out as research. The only thing really relevant they knew was that nothing was set in stone and everything could change at the drop of a hat. 

Anyway, this was Rick’s new normal and he had gotten pretty used to not experiencing much in the way of shock value anymore, so imagine his surprise when Courtney sat them down at lunch, joined by jock and douchebag extraordinaire, Henry King Jr. 

It just got worse. Not only was Courtney maybe leaving Blue Valley forever, they also had to embark on a mission to get her staff back and try to take down the ISA (like that was realistically gonna happen tonight), but  _ also _ try and save Junior’s murderous dad?

No way. 

Rick had to draw the line somewhere, even as he flew backwards across the cafeteria, admitting to himself that, ok, it might not have been a great idea to suggest killing the unstable telekinetic’s father. But whatever, he was not down with this and Yolanda sure as shit wasn't, either. Beth looked less conflicted, as she probably trusted Courtney’s judgement, but maybe it was fair to say she was a better person than they were.

And yet, here they found themselves, changing into their suits, about to traverse the underground tunnels, with Henry tagging along. He couldn’t look more out of place in that stupid letterman jacket, which only further supported Rick’s insistence that he shouldn’t be there. But fine, if Henry wanted to be caught up in all this, that was his choice and Rick didn’t care to convince him otherwise. Of course, it was at that moment fate or the universe or whatever decided to show him why he should.

Letting out a quiet groan, Rick braced himself, feeling the familiar ache, shutting his eyes tight as his current surroundings were replaced with views of the tunnels. He saw what he expected: a bit of arguing, a lot of running, Courtney successfully getting her staff back. Then came some things less expected: a monster deep in the halls, their getting trapped, Brainwave walking towards them, Henry crushed under rubble. Whoa, whoa, wait... what?!

When his eyes shifted back into focus a minute later, everyone was staring at him with concern. Even Henry, though he was mostly confused, looked like he was ready to rush forward and catch the other boy in case he fainted.

“Rick? What’s wrong?” Courtney asked, looking worriedly back at Henry. She had a bad feeling- a correct one- that it had something to do with him, since he was their newest variable. “What was that?”

Rick didn’t answer for a second, wondering if he should ease them into it. No, better to get it out of the way quick, so he could plan around it. “Uhh, Henry,” he began, looking at the redhead with something other than disdain for once. “I saw you die.”

Henry opened his mouth to speak…but nothing came out, so he just stood there with his jaw hanging open. When no one else said anything and Courtney and Yolanda just kept looking between them all with a sense of urgency and fear, he finally found the words he was searching for. “Huh?”

“Uhh, Rick can see about an hour into the future,” Courtney updated him.

“What?!” Henry exclaimed, even more astonished than when he started hearing people’s thoughts. “Are you joking?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Yolanda steamrolled over his questions, bringing them back around to the main problem. “You’re gonna have to stay here while we find your dad.”

“No, I’m coming with you!” Henry argued, at the same time Rick said that he couldn’t stay.

“Why not?” Yolanda and Courtney cried in unison.

“There’s too many unknowns,” Rick reasoned. “If he stays here, and everything that happens prior doesn’t, who knows how that’ll play out? We might not be able to get the staff back or one of us might die instead. We could all die!”

“But you don’t know that,” Yolanda replied, but she knew from all their ‘research’ he was probably right. Trying to deviate too far from what was known could lead to something even less desirable. “Ok, well, at least tell us what exactly happened so we can avoid it!”

“I can’t. You know how this works, the more you guys know, the more the future can change.”

“Can someone tell me what’s going on!? Considering you just told me I’m gonna die in an hour?” Henry interrupted.

“We’re trying to avoid an Oedipus Rex situation,” Beth said plainly. As Henry’s look of befuddlement and worry didn’t change, she tried to elaborate. “It’s the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Think of Rick as, like, the Oracle. He can know, but if we  _ all _ know everything that’s going to happen, we might end up causing it to happen. On the other hand, we might cause something way worse if we actively  _ avoid _ all the specifics.” 

Henry ran a hand over his face. “I regret coming here.”

“Don’t worry,” Courtney assured him with a fierce determination. “We’re not going to let you die.”

“I’ll just need to borrow something from the garage,” said Rick, already forming a plan he could hopefully pull off alone. 

* * *

Now underground, with Pat not answering Courtney’s calls, Rick knew it was time to split up. As Courtney and Yolanda planned to go off one path, Rick handed Pat’s borrowed tool bag to Beth, pulling Henry aside before he joined the girls. “Hey, when you find your dad, don’t…” he stopped.

The problem was, Rick didn’t see what they were going to do in the other room, so he had no idea if whatever Henry would do served as a catalyst or a deterrent. What he did know was his dad killed him, so... definitely had to find a way to prevent that. “Just be careful, ok? And… run faster.” 

"Great advice, Harris," Henry retorted, dripping with sarcasm. "That didn't even cross my mind." Still, he picked up the pace a little bit.

Rick and Beth then went the other direction, not making it too far before Rick recognized exactly where they were. His gaze traveled to the locked, reinforced steel door. A roar bellowed out from inside. 

“What was that?” Beth demanded, apprehension seeping into her tone.

“Solomon Grundy. The thing that killed my parents.” Rick knew he didn’t have time to try and rip that door off its hinges. Not this time. But he couldn’t help it. The rage and anger he’d held in for years came bubbling up, threatening to throw him off his goal. It’d be worth it, though, wouldn’t it? He’d finally get his revenge. Before he knew it, his hourglass was turned over and he was at the door, ready to punch out the bottom screws. 

“Rick, that’s not what we’re here for,” Beth implored, already trying to pull him away.

Rick closed his eyes and breathed deeply.  _ Come on, Tyler, get it together,  _ he thought to himself.  _ If you’re here, Henry has no chance.  _ He unfurled his fists and took one last look at the rumbling door, before leading Beth down the tunnel they were going to make their escape. 

Reaching the iron bars blocking off their exit, he motioned for the tool bag, pulling out a cutting torch, fitted with its large gas compartment. Getting to work, he burned through the top of one of the bars, then another, and one more, just to be safe. He bent them down and started burning through the bottom of the bars, stomping on them to break them off the rest of the way as he felt it was taking too long. That should grant them a hasty getaway.

“Ok,” Rick said when he was done, tossing the three broken rods to the side. “Let’s go find them and get the hell out of here.”

Not 10 minutes later, after punching out a number of henchmen, Rick and Beth had reunited with the other three, Courtney wielding the staff as predicted, and they were on their way to the exit, right on time.

Unfortunately, also like clockwork, Brainwave’s slow and foreboding entrance came just as Yolanda passed through the hole they had created. Suddenly, flying rocks hindered the remaining team’s escape. Courtney quickly spun around to blast the offender with a steady stream of energy, colliding with his mental force field.

“Dad, please!” Henry’s cries rang out over all the noise, trying his best to break through to the father he knew. “You’re better than this!”

Rick sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, knowing full well that hearing that marked the beginning of the end. He had to think fast, or what was the point of his abilities if it all just ended the same? He flicked his eyes to the increasingly unstable tunnel roof. That’s it!

Rick grabbed up the previously discarded metal bars, then called out to Henry, pointing up. “Think you can cause a cave in?” The redhead nodded, focusing his power on violently shaking the rocks above them. “Court!” Rick tapped the blonde on the shoulder to get her attention. “Aim up!” As soon as her staff changed course, Rick weighed a rod in his hand, pulled back, and threw it like a javelin at the unsuspecting Brainwave. 

The older man looked surprised, but he was smart enough not to have brought his force field down yet, so the metal pinged harmlessly off it. Rick just went ahead and threw another one, keeping him concerned with protecting himself and not on what his team members were doing. 

The force field immediately disengaged as soon as Rick threw the last rod, but it was too late. The cave ceiling came tumbling down, Brainwave putting an arm up to block all the flying debris. As the dust settled, he looked again to the hole in the prison bars, but the junior JSA were all long gone.

* * *

  
  


Back at the Dugan household, Courtney squealed with joy as Pat and her mom told her they were planning on working things out and were no longer about to up and leave Blue Valley. As celebration, she asked the rest of them if they wanted to stay for dinner, to which everyone said yes. Her mom, though clearly happy to have her daughter’s friends over, announced she would need to buy a few extra supplies to prepare a larger dinner. 

So as Pat and Barbara, accompanied by Mike, went on a grocery run, the five of them hung out at the house. 

Courtney and Yolanda made up rather quickly and, while the girls settled in for an episode of  _ Doctor Who _ , Rick made his way out to the backyard porch area, taking a few swigs from the sizable bottle of alcohol he had stuffed in his backpack. Before long, the screen door shuttered behind him, and he was joined by the other psychic of their group. Which… what a weird coincidence that was. "You're still here?"

“What else am I gonna do? Go home? Yeah, I'm here... Are you drinking Fireball Whiskey?” Henry asked, in slight disgust. “Dude, seriously?”

Rick massaged at his temples, responding, “it’s cheap and it takes the edge off, don’t judge.”

“Uhh, I will, that stuff burns… and not even in a good way.” Henry sat down on the stairs next to him, pulling something out from the pocket of his jacket. “But I’m willing to share if you are.”

Rick eyed the perfectly rolled up joint, swirling his bottle’s contents. “Doesn’t the school drug test?” 

“What are you, my coach?” Henry scoffed, bringing out the kitchen lighter he found to light the cigarette. “Besides, over the last couple of days, I found out my dad is part of some evil society, my ex-girlfriend’s in the same evil society, I can hear voices  _ and _ I can move things with my mind… I need this.”

"Hmm, getting one of the football team's wide receivers crossfaded?" Rick remarked, handing over the bottle and motioning for the weed. "That's something I can get behind."

They settled into a slightly uncomfortable silence, before Henry spoke up again. "Hey, thanks for… keeping me alive today," he started. "I appreciate that."

“No problem. I figure, why add to the list and mourn another person if I can prevent it?”

“What do you mean, list?”

"My parents died 9 years ago today." Wow, Rick couldn't believe he was actually telling him that. This guy, who he really did not like at all until a few hours ago. “I  thought - just this once, everybody lives.”

"Oh…I- I'm sorry," Henry stuttered out. That wasn't really something he was expecting to hear, considering he thought that guy Rick lived with was his dad. He was kinda relieved to hear this wasn't the case, because he’d seen the man around and... what a grade-A prick he was. Henry thought he should change the subject now, but he couldn't help his curiosity getting the better of him. “Uhh, I don't know if this is breaking, like, prophecy rules or anything, but, uhh, how'd I die?"

"Umm," Rick kept his eyes on the bottle, refusing to look back at the other boy. "I don't think I should tell you that."

"Oh, come on, it's already happened right? It's not like I can change anything else about it."

"No, it's not-"

"You don't even have to say it," Henry pressed on. He wagged a finger between the two of them. "I can just see it for myself. If that's ok with you, I mean."

Rick sighed and leaned back on his elbows. Yeah, it was probably best to let him know what kind of person his dad really was, but at the same time… was it for the best? 

Ignorance is bliss, as they say. 

Rick turned to look at the other boy, who was clearly set on finding this out, one way or another. "Ok," he agreed, despite himself.

Henry smiled back, turning to fully face him. "Ready?" When Rick nodded, Henry reached out with his mind, suddenly seeing memories that didn't belong to him. Memories that would now never come to pass. He saw himself on the other side of unbroken iron bars, dropping to his knees in pain as his father stared down at him, with nothing but coldness in his eyes. Henry heard himself apologize to Yolanda and reassure Courtney, then the ceiling of rocks crashed down.

Henry pulled away quickly, blinking back the tears that had welled up. 

"Sorry," Rick hurriedly apologized. "I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's ok," Henry said, taking a shaky breath. That was the sort of thing Rick had to deal with seeing all the time? That sucked. "I needed to know." He stopped talking. Rick waited. 

A minute or so passed, then Henry said, "They must have done something to him. Implanted fake memories or… I don't know, hypnotized him?? That wasn't him, that wasn't my dad."

"What?" This must've been the most surprising day Rick had lived in a while, because in no way did he think that would be the conclusion they reached. "Did you see what I saw? Because I'm pretty sure your dad said that he killed your mom and he seemed to not be affected at all by killing you." 

"But how can you know that for sure?" Henry asked, a quiet desperation in his voice. "How do you know… what if that's just how they programmed him? We don't know what they did to him in there!"

“I guess,” Rick agreed that this could be a possibility, but he was feeling pretty skeptical. "Or your dad could just be a monster?"

"I can't believe that," Henry shot back. "I can't just… accept that he's gone. That there's no good left in him. He's all I have left."

"Well," Rick could hardly have anticipated his saying this, but, "you've got us. If that's something you wanted."

Henry looked at him with sincere appreciation, before cracking a smile. "That's if Courtney's parents don't kick us out for the drugs and alcohol when they get back."

Rick scoffed, smirking back. "I think they'll let it slide this time. I mean, they've got to feel kinda bad for us, we're basically orphans." 

"Yeah, I think that's a good enough reason as any." Henry let out a laugh, puffing on the joint a couple more times and blowing out clouds of smoke. "Hey, you know what I just realized? The mind reading, seeing the future… We're kinda like Edward and Alice from  _ Twilight _ ."

Rick did not know what to say to that. "How high are you?" 

"Look, man, the school does actually drug test!” Henry defended himself.  “I've only gotten high, like, once before this, a year ago!" 

Rick, clearly amused, reached over and took both the weed and alcohol away from him. "All right, maybe we should take it easy for the rest of the night." 

They sat out there for a few minutes longer, talking about whatever random thought came to Henry, until Yolanda came out to tell them Pat and Barbara had returned. It was pizza night and everyone was going to make their own personal pies. She rolled her eyes when she noticed they were obviously inebriated, but didn't make any further mention of it. 

Henry got up off the floor, which he had at some point fell down to, and dusted himself off. Right before he moved to open the screen door, he put a hand out to stop them. "Wait, you don't think this is gonna be like a  _ Final Destination  _ scenario, do you? Like, will Death come for me to bring the balance of nature back?"

"No." Rick looked unbothered as he went to pull the door open instead. "But if it does, don't expect me to be able to do anything about, like, I don't know, spontaneous decapitation."

"Ehh, that's fine, I'll duck _. _ Or just  _ run faster _ ."

Rick hit him with the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Drop a comment if you feeling comment-y! :)


End file.
